Cash-for-judge scam: CBI seeks more time to complete probe

Chandigarh, Feb 10 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Tuesday sought more time to complete the probe into the alleged delivery of Rs.1.5 million at the residence of a Punjab and Haryana High Court judge last year, in what came to be known as the cash-for-judge scam.

The CBI submitted its status report of the inquiry in a city court here. However, the details of the CBI probe so far were not available, as no argument took place in the court.

The next hearing of the case is scheduled for Feb 20.

Meanwhile, the counsel of hotelier Ravinder Singh, one of the main accused in the case, moved an application in the court pleading his client be let off.

“The CBI has not made any development in the case. It has asked for more time from the court to scrutinise the land deal done in Himachal Pradesh and my client has no relation with any such deal,” A.S. Chahal, the defence counsel, told IANS.

“CBI’s investigations will take a long time so we have moved an application in the court demanding the discharge of Ravinder Singh,” said Chahal.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court was hit by the scam in August last year after a packet containing Rs.1.5 million was delivered at the Sector 11 residence of newly appointed high court judge Nirmaljit Kaur. She complained to the police registering an FIR.

The police had arrested the (then) Haryana additional advocate general Sanjeev Bansal, a property dealer Rajiv Gupta and Ravinder Singh in this connection but later released them on bail.

Bansal and Gupta reportedly told the police that the money was meant for another high court judge, Nirmal Yadav.

They had claimed that they delivered the money to the judges on instructions of Singh, who has denied the allegations in the court.